The Real Cd'Ahttps://therealcda.com
The Progressive Voice of Coeur d'AleneMon, 19 Feb 2018 15:41:12 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Why I can’t support James Vandermaas for Congresshttps://therealcda.com/cant-support-james-vandermaas-congress/
https://therealcda.com/cant-support-james-vandermaas-congress/#commentsFri, 17 Nov 2017 23:13:50 +0000https://therealcda.com/?p=3809With 2018 in sight, many of us in Idaho, and nationally, are dying for political change at EVERY level. Decades of losing local races have left Democrats searching high and low for new leaders willing to run for state seats, the governorship, and the House (congressional) seat for District 1. I’m here with some bad […]

]]>With 2018 in sight, many of us in Idaho, and nationally, are dying for political change at EVERY level. Decades of losing local races have left Democrats searching high and low for new leaders willing to run for state seats, the governorship, and the House (congressional) seat for District 1.

I’m here with some bad news about one of the first Democratic candidates to announce. Candidate for Congress in District 1, James Vandermaas, has little chance to win this race to Washington.

Of course, sharing this opinion is a little uncomfortable. James seems to be a good man. He has good intentions and is on the right side of many issues. What his message is missing is threefold.

James Vandermaas talks to potential supporters at the Innovation Den in Coeur d’Alene Idaho

The first is passion.

James lacks the ability to express passion for the issues he says he stands for. His inability to show passion and inspire interest in topics was painful to watch at his candidacy announcement in Cd’A last week. His delivery left a lot to be desired as he clumsily read his entire opening speech off a pile of papers.

Now I’m no fan of public speaking myself, but when we are talking about becoming the voice for the whole of Western Idaho, and representing the people in DC, it seems one would be more prepared and passionate while asking for support. Truth is, it was hard to watch.

If James can’t inspire and connect with Dems, how can he reach new voters?

The second is policy positions.

Many of James stated positions feel middle of the road, even leaning conservative. For instance, consider his take on the second amendment:

Huh? In this day and age where we witness weekly mass shootings with AR-15 assault rifles, you’re going to take the easy road to appease hard-line gun owners? Look, we know it’s not an easy task to articulate common sense gun control, but the time has come to do just that. AR-15 assault-style weapons have to go. We must have a conversation on reasonable gun laws, while considering external influences, such as mental health, and social and economic inequality. That is the leadership we DEMAND to have on this issue.

I’m not saying it’s the sole matter of concern for legislation this term, but we need a leader who will get the dialogue started.

“A strong and productive middle-class with affordable jobs is the key to a strong and productive economy, and key to keeping our country healthy and safe.”

This sounds like the typical generic political response, but fine.

What about the massive attack on the middle class by Donald Trump? Corporate America? The Republican Party? Are you not passionate about defending against the complete annihilation of unions? The relentless kickbacks to the wealthy? Nothing to mention about the fact that we are sliding into a plutocracy? Again, where is the passion for the most important issues of the moment?!

“I will fight to cut waste”. Now does that not sound like a Republican position?! Sure does to me.

James talks a bit about the economy, but nothing about raising taxes on the mega-wealthy to balance the budget and provide the resources we need to bring back the middle class.

To be fair he does take conventional democratic positions on Medicare, Citizens United, and immigration; though his positions are sprinkled with conservatism. James is definitely a middle of the road democrat. And that’s ok. What I believe Idaho needs is a strong progressive.

The third is the failure to embrace a progressive message.

2016 Caucus results by county

Bernie Sanders is the outreach chair of the Democratic party. Nowhere on James website, or during my interactions with James has he mentioned support for Bernie or progressive positions. Does James not understand that 70% of people under 30 voted for Bernie?!

From Wikipedia: “He was also bolstered by rural support from Southern Idaho to the Northern Panhandle, and in Central Idaho including Treasure Valley. Such regions are among the most remote and radically conservative areas of the country.”

If James, or any Democrat, is unable to see the writing on the wall, then we are at an impasse.

A progressive message is supported by a strong majority of Dems, a number of Independents, and even some Republicans. That is proven in the data. We want strong progressive leadership even in a red state. We want the truth to have its rightful place in our political discourse.

In Idaho, and nationally, Republicans have created a false reality in which to live. Protected and supported by the real “fake news” organization FOX, they have mastered identity politics over common sense, facts, and morality. They have literally hijacked the consciousness of half our nation. Only bold and honest leadership will guide us in a new direction. “The truth will set you free” is a cliche saying for a reason.

In conclusion, I think everyone should give James a fair look. He deserves that for being willing to step up and run for Congress in Idaho. In a state lacking candidates on every level, I am thankful to James for his desire to run. However, I cannot personally support someone who believes playing to the middle is the way forward. We are in new political times and an audacious and progressive message derived from common sense and critical thinking is the only chance we have of pulling Idaho back from its continued drift toward one party political apathy.

]]>https://therealcda.com/cant-support-james-vandermaas-congress/feed/10Who’s Running Now?https://therealcda.com/whos-running-now/
https://therealcda.com/whos-running-now/#respondWed, 11 Oct 2017 17:00:46 +0000https://therealcda.com/?p=3772Listen up Idaho. I don’t mean to disturb your slumber but are our lives so good? They must be because no ones is interested in running for some state legislative positions. Idaho like most states keeps electing the same people. We probably can’t name most legislators but kind of recognize a name on a ballot […]

]]>Listen up Idaho. I don’t mean to disturb your slumber but are our lives so good? They must be because no ones is interested in running for some state legislative positions. Idaho like most states keeps electing the same people. We probably can’t name most legislators but kind of recognize a name on a ballot and fill in the bubble. Our legislators become career jobs each session, each year, each election the same names and faces.

We hear the same slogans lower taxes, more local control and oh yeah less government on our backs. Does anyone discuss what happens each session? If these “leaders” are doing what they tell us each election, then they should be out of work by now. If a new face shows up to run the money flows to the incumbents making it difficult for a new voice to be heard. It isn’t like they’re selling hamburgers and the loudest voice wins, or maybe it is.

If someone has a message or a new idea that might help us, it doesn’t get heard, either too much noise or too little hearing. Sooo the same face returns to do the same thing and we forget about it for two years and complain the whole time.

How about some new faces with new ideas for us. Where are the candidates Republican or Democrat, right or left, liberal or conservative, pick your poison act like it matters, get involved. Give us some options. Maybe, just maybe things can be better in Idaho. Take a chance, offer yourself as a candidate. No one will hate you for trying and perhaps you win.

]]>https://therealcda.com/whos-running-now/feed/0Kinda boring. Kinda important.https://therealcda.com/kinda-boring-kinda-important/
https://therealcda.com/kinda-boring-kinda-important/#respondFri, 06 Oct 2017 20:17:09 +0000https://therealcda.com/?p=3738Tuesday night I dusted off my notepad, put on a sweater, and headed down to my first city council meeting in six months. In summer, it’s hard to stay in tune with local happenings when we only have three short months to catch a tan and jump off rocks at Tubbs. But make no mistake, […]

]]>Tuesday night I dusted off my notepad, put on a sweater, and headed down to my first city council meeting in six months.

In summer, it’s hard to stay in tune with local happenings when we only have three short months to catch a tan and jump off rocks at Tubbs. But make no mistake, important decisions are always in the works in a city like Cd’A.

Honestly, I’m no press reporter, and I didn’t go to school for journalism. I’m just a guy who grew up on 19th Street. For some reason, I find politics and community engagement interesting, and sometimes fun! So, I write from my opinion with a few facts sprinkled in, just to be clear.

Personally, I view our city council in a warm light. Mostly good, progressive, and thoughtful individuals, as far as I can tell. And our mayor, though having committed the great sin of working for Hagadone for many years, seems to be a good leader.

Tuesday’s council agenda included discussion about putting in new bike corrals downtown, approving an application for development of property on the river, and an important land swap deal with Ignite.

The ignite property swap was the hot topic of the evening, although the approval of the joint building application was very interesting.

The city owns a lightning bolt shaped piece of land, which runs through the heart of the same property a developer wants to put apartments/condos on. The area runs alongside the Spokane River, right above Riverstone.

In the recording, you will see a confusing, difficult to understand, proposal requiring the city to give consent to the developer to move forward with plans to build high density buildings. The possible benefit to the city is the developer would gift the waterfront area to public use, in turn, for the permission to build on the city’s land. Which would also increase the zoning from 17 units per acre to 34. I assume this means a high rise.

The council struggled to understand this proposal, and in the end, shot it down with a tiebreaking vote by the mayor.

The final discussion about the Ignite Cd’A land swap was why I came, and why many others got up to speak.

Ignite Cd’A has possession of land on Tubbs hill. The city has possession of land in Riverstone. The proposal is to swap this property so the city gets to expand Tubbs, and Ignite gets to sell the riverstone property, for development, to fund future projects.

Local voices spoke up in opposition primarily because the Riverstone property was originally purchased for the centennial trail. This swap would move that trail, possibly shrink it, and increase a hill grade that would negatively affect disabled individuals.

After citizens came up to voice these concerns, the mayor, and other councilors made it clear they would make sure the trials stayed 15 feet wide and the grade would stay at 2%. This decision seemed to appease the people.

I had another thought stirring in the back of my mind when councilmember Gookin spoke, unexpectedly and passionately, to the same concern.

He reminded the council that this land was bought to create corridors of green space through developed areas like Riverstone, and he thought trading this land to acquire the Tubbs Hill lots would come at a cost.

Gookin said what I think so many residents believe.

“…open space is a finite commodity.” “I don’t want to see more houses.”

While voicing his concern to keep this property as it was originally intended, a distinct break in visions emerged between Gookin and the mayor.

He made us consider: are we moving forward to develop every inch of open space, or are we a city trying to preserve the little green spaces we have left, regardless of the allure of tax revenue?

The mayor seemed to take a pro-development position. He visually lost his temper when Gookin took a passionate stance against the pro development rhetoric, which illustrates how easily he became frustrated with views inconsistent with his own.

“We all love parks and trails, but at some point and time you have to have economic development to pay for them, or you’re going to raise someone’s taxes” – Mayor Steve Widmyer

In the end, they voted 6-1 to approve this land swap, and in some ways that is great. The city gets back a piece of Tubbs that will be there forever. Unfortunately, in return, we move a bike path from having trees and grass surrounding it, to being smashed down to the last inch. The path will now be surrounded by retaining walls on one side and a line of new condos on the other side, which no one working in Cd’A could ever afford.

So, though it was maybe a small example of the competing ideologies, to me it felt clear.

As a city, are we ready to develop every inch of space when it feels right to generate tax revenue for other funding? Or do we consider other environmental externalities, such as preserving the last little bits of open green space that still exists along our water lines?

Is this just a question of economics, or maybe an environmental or ethical conundrum?

]]>https://therealcda.com/kinda-boring-kinda-important/feed/0Raul Labrador Town Hallhttps://therealcda.com/raul-labrador-town-hall/
https://therealcda.com/raul-labrador-town-hall/#commentsFri, 19 May 2017 18:04:32 +0000https://therealcda.com/?p=3685Republican-led counties and states have been facing uproar from Democratic constituents all across the USA since the election of Donald Trump, and it’s given politicians and newspapers alike a lot to scramble and cover. Since the massive national protests and the well-covered police escort of California Representative Tom McClintock (R) out of a Roseville town […]

]]>Republican-led counties and states have been facing uproar from Democratic constituents all across the USA since the election of Donald Trump, and it’s given politicians and newspapers alike a lot to scramble and cover. Since the massive national protests and the well-covered police escort of California Representative Tom McClintock (R) out of a Roseville town hall meeting in February, perceptions about the Indivisible/Resist movement’s relevancy, momentum, potential threat to civility, and representation of the Democratic Party have given no shortage of headlines.

Coeur d’Alene seems to be no exception to this ongoing narrative. Local Indivisible groups hosting a Tax Day town hall and march to protest multiple issues regarding President Donald Trump received a turnout of 300+ on April 16. The Coeur d’Alene Press’ Steve Cameron reported on this, beginning his story with the sentence, “Perhaps Democrats aren’t really an extinct species in North Idaho.” Notably, democrats are a minority in Idaho.

Given this context, and that political institution is in an unusual state at the moment (an “upset,” as major outlets almost unanimously referred to President Trump’s win) it is perhaps forgivable to suggest that when audience members took to a standing applaud only at two moments during Representative Raul Labrador’s Coeur d’Alene town hall meeting at Lake City on March 5th, those moments represented the concerns and stances of town hall attendees.

Given this context, it is also perhaps forgivable to ask why an exception is indeed being made in Coeur d’Alene as to how local reporting tells this narrative.

There is no intention here to deliver a blithe and self-assured criticism of the Spokesman Review, KREM 2, or the Coeur d’Alene Press (though I will be targeting CDA Press, I feel it’s a fair critique); I know nothing of their staffing situations, guidelines on allowing writers to inject political analysis, or whether they’d prefer letters to the editor to better represent where concerned citizens’ voices sit.

I only intend to state that none of those three things would seem to come into play if the intention was to cover the event. If a reader was not there, what did they miss? Town hall meetings have established themselves in history as a necessary form of political communication, and if journalism’s aim is to objectively cover an event, would it not logically follow that it should document all pertinent political communication: namely, that done by the audience whose expected presence is the basis for the event? Exclusion of these ideological moments of discourse, it seems to me, serves to take part in what is expected to be only an observed sociological documentation by providing a narrative that isn’t full to people seeking to give it a narrative.

One of those key moments was of relative high drama. A question posed by audience member Rebecca Schroeder was likely the most notable, and while KREM 2 and the Spokesmanhttp://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/may/05/health-care-dominates-at-highly-charged-coeur-dale/ Review both bring attention to her, neither note her position as National Advocacy Co-Chair for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the fact that her question received the largest standing audience of the night, the relationship which she and Labrador had already established and the appeals they made to each other personally, with Schroeder accusing Labrador of lacking compassion and being a liar, and Labrador saying he no longer looks forward to meeting with her. The story says:

“Coeur d’Alene resident Rebecca Schroeder, the mother of a 9-year-old with cystic fibrosis, handed out photocopied sheets of statements by organizations such as the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society, all of which condemned the Republican bill. At the microphone, she accused Labrador of pushing a bill that would restrict her son’s access to lifesaving medications.

“Are you asking us to disregard the voices of patients and health care professionals?” Schroeder asked.

“You and I disagree on this,” Labrador said, after several members of the audience stood and applauded Schroeder’s comments. “I told you that I wanted to protect people like your son, while also protecting the 93 percent of Americans that have been harmed by Obamacare.”

They may have done this for the sake of brevity, opting to quote her to represent the health care concerns that defined the night, rather than the partisan concerns of the audience or the moment’s unexpected move away from the predictably repetitive and perhaps sometimes uninteresting Q&A. KREM 2 only showed a portion of Schroeder’s question without interest in the above details.

The second moment was prompted by another person, Teuvo Orjala, who was also mentioned in the Spokesman’s article. The article also fails to mention his position as a founder of a local Indivisible group, instead referring to him as an ally, and also excludes that Labrador’s response incited standing applause from within the audience, there has been local contention over Indivisible, or Labrador’s most direct answer to a question about faith: “Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and give unto god that which is god’s.” The Spokesman reports,

“Labrador repeated several times during the town hall that the benefits of the Affordable Care Act go to a small portion of the population, while the majority is left with rising premiums. The congressman reiterated to several attendees, including 34-year-old Teuvo Orjala, that health care was not a right protected in the U.S. Constitution, and therefore lawmakers were under no legal obligation to provide it.

“I do think we have a responsibility, not a Constitutional right, but a responsibility to take care of people who cannot take care of themselves,” Labrador said.

Orjala, who is allied with the Indivisible Idaho movement that opposes the agenda of President Donald Trump, asked Labrador how that position reconciled with his Christian faith, which the lawmaker has been vocal about in his public life.

Labrador said he grew up poor, and when his family needed something, “we didn’t go to the government. We went to the church, and the church provided the things that we needed for a month or two.”

Orjala said after the town hall he was disappointed with Labrador’s answer.

“I was hoping for a heartfelt answer, and I felt like I kind of got a canned answer,” he said.

Perhaps I am adding bias by thinking something that could be noteworthy to interested parties should be noted. The way I’ve always looked at it is how I mentioned above: if a reader wasn’t there, what did they miss? In this regard I don’t heavily criticize the Spokesman and KXLY, they obviously made an effort toward the audience. These two organizations are Spokane-based.

The Coeur d’Alene Press, on the other hand, evidently has a focus on Coeur d’Alene. They have assigned reporter Steve Cameron to cover town halls it seems, and in his coverage of the event, he declared that there were two lessons from the event. One was that, “local Democrats and progressives have gotten wiser in less than a week,” referring to a story written by himself on May 1 portraying “anti-trump” attendees of a District 4 town hall meeting at North Idaho College as screaming and a threat to property (neither of which attendees, of which I was one, can reasonably confirm). This story prompted uproarious debate in the comments section (one comment was made by me as well) and calls to the CDA Press office; the story was changed to say “opinion by” instead of “written by,” and Cameron issued an apology for allowing bias to slip into his story.

One could argue that “local democrats and progressives” only got wiser due the fact that the paper personally submitted an article that portrayed them as insane and threatening. I would disagree with that, but it’s hard to disprove since the writer interjected his stances into the ongoing narrative. Which I find not to be too harsh of a declaration to make when the second lesson Cameron reports from the event is that:

“You simply cannot trap a politician with a “Gotcha!” question, as U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, proved again and again, dancing easily around anything that might have put him in a difficult position.”

This story goes on to praise Labrador’s performance, referring to his answers as soft-shoe worthy, dance moves, never veering toward being impolite, and then concludes:

Even Labrador’s critics, however, probably didn’t give him a failing grade for Friday night’s performance.

Don Rumpel, a businessman from Kellogg, perhaps summed it up.

“He seems like a pretty nice guy, whatever you think,” Rumpel said.

Green cards for that, surely.

I feel as if the CDA Press might be forgiving this activity due to its benefit of providing a more entertainment-oriented approach. But political events, especially ones that might be contentious, aren’t usually put in the Features section for creative writers to toy around with. And at even that task, Cameron seems to fail. Instead of simply being entertaining, Cameron seems only inches away from endorsing Labrador, whom everyone at the time of the story’s writing suspected would run for governor. And he did, very shortly afterward.

If these were the lessons learned, I think it’s fair to say that Cameron is telling a self-fulfilling prophecy. To attach the narrative of a group expressly to whether it behaved in a calm manner, and to exaggerate how badly they behaved to the extent that his District 4 town hall story did, makes his apology letter for that story sound very inauthentic given that he followed it with a story praising Labrador for his good behavior and linked a “lesson” to be learned from the event to a separate event which he covered in a way that incited an apology. The apology itself goes to hopefully evidence what I’m accusing Cameron of, with a headline of “DEMOCRATS WANT RUDE BEHAVIOR HALTED NOW,” wherein he quotes Kootenai County Democratic Chair Paula Neils as saying that she wants discourse to be civil. This hardly seems the place to admit to the mistake he made and admit to his “journalistic sin,” as he admitted it under what is… a story. A story about Paula Neils’ appeal to civil discourse, which the writer turned into his own. The story concludes:

I can tell you without hesitation that I learned my own lesson about becoming inflamed — and not by issues, but by behavior.

So can we stop all the nonsense?

Please?

My point isn’t that he’s merely an inflamed journalist; I would say that he’s a biased writer. It’s nothing against him, nor am I saying that he’s particularly allied to any party. Nor am I saying this from a slanted perspective, I believe; while I’m not opposed to the Indivisible movement (I am acquainted with members of it) and align myself to Democrats in general, I land on different sides of the political equation on many issues and make great efforts to straddle the line between parties. There are stances I hold that I’m certain Indivisible members would disagree with. I’m saying that the story Cameron is telling excludes objective coverage of the event, and instead tells his own narrative of it. Given that partisan tensions are very high in our nation and that Spokane seems to cover our stories with brevity, it seems journalistically dangerous that our local political coverage has made such a clear distinction about what is right or wrong behavior, and then clearly splits our parties among those lines.

Despite what he said about the Labrador town hall, there weren’t any lessons to be learned from it. If there were, it isn’t up to a reporter to instill those lessons but to provide the facts from which people can derive those lessons.

]]>https://therealcda.com/raul-labrador-town-hall/feed/2The Lincoln Dinnerhttps://therealcda.com/the-lincoln-dinner/
https://therealcda.com/the-lincoln-dinner/#respondSat, 18 Mar 2017 16:50:55 +0000https://therealcda.com/?p=3637Idaho Republican Party Leaders are Living in an Alternate Reality ~ 11 minute read ~ There are moments in life where you realize that the person or people with whom you are interacting have established so many alternative facts in their head that they now live in an alternate reality. A reality that bears little resemblance […]

are Living in an Alternate Reality

~ 11 minute read ~

There are moments in life where you realize that the person or people with whom you are interacting have established so many alternative facts in their head that they now live in an alternate reality. A reality that bears little resemblance to the actual world. After attending the very peaceful protest of local progressive citizens on NW Blvd illuminated by a glorious sunset, I made my way over to the Coeur’d Alene resort to see what the scene was at the Lincoln dinner. Upon attempting to enter the room, I was met at the door by a couple of frightened pre-teens with a blank piece of paper held in front of them like a shield telling me that I could not enter. They called an adult over, and after a brief conversation to discern my intentions, I was allowed in. Between beefing up security, photographing the protestors, and requiring only written questions at the Town Hall earlier that day, it was apparent that the Republicans really were paranoid about the possibility of having to answer tough questions from people who disagree with them. Clearly, I did not fit in with the scene with my long hair and guitar fingernails. Nor did I feel exactly comfortable with the John Birch Society whose table was right inside the entrance or the fact that a raffle was happening for a Luger- the German-made handgun used by SS officers. I felt a bit as if I had disappeared into an even more twisted contemporary version of Roald Dahl’s book The Witches.

The large banquet room was full of old white Republicans made giddy by the election of Donald Trump. While Trump might not be as articulate and charismatic as these Republicans would hope, they are more than willing to embrace him and his entire agenda. Although Idaho Senator Mike Crapo didn’t care to meet with concerned local citizens, he did show up to address corporate sponsors and party Republicans at the Lincoln dinner. His speech advocated for “downsizing government,” “replacing the tax code,” “repealing Obamacare,” and having a “strong national defense.” He also mentioned changing the Supreme Court and indicated that we should have an “opportunity society” instead of a “caretaker society.” Like many political terms these are meant to obscure rather than clarify. Based on his support for Trump and all his nominees, here is a translation: by “downsize government” he really means to destroy all aspects of government that support a culture of human rights and biospheric preservation. By “replacing the tax code” he means to cut taxes for the rich. (I guess a world in which less than a dozen individuals have as much wealth as the bottom half of humanity and where the top 1% of 1% have become enormously more wealthy in recent years while the poor have gotten poorer is too egalitarian for him.) “Repealing Obamacare” means tax cuts for the rich, cutting healthcare for the poor and defunding Planned Parenthood. A “strong national defense” means increasing spending up to more than half of the federal budget on endless illegal wars of aggression which in turn increase terrorism. Changing the Supreme Court means upholding Citizens United (so that the rich can buy their legislators and presidents) and undermining Roe v Wade (so women will not be able to access abortions). By advocating for an opportunity society rather than a caretaker society he means to eliminate programs that care for those at the bottom that could use help and instead encourage those who are well off to get richer. After all, if you aren’t rich and successful, according to this view, then you must not be trying hard enough. Out of work? Have a mental illness? Addicted? Diagnosed with a serious physical illness? Need some support from society? Sorry, but they can’t have you sucking off of the government teat (because the biggest corporations, especially the war machines and big banks, have been nursing for awhile now and are about to suck her dry.)

I also wondered about what kinds of alternate facts and alternate realities might be occurring these days in the local Republican party, especially around climate change. After all, the Idaho legislature excluded mentions of climate change and human disruption of ecosystems as realities in the science standards for public schools. How does one respond to somebody who doesn’t believe that humans are disrupting earth’s ecosystems or that climate change is caused by humans? It is a bit like dealing with someone who believes that the earth is flat or that the extraterrestrial reptiles are running the government. These kinds of interactions can be disturbingly common in Idaho. At the Republican dinner I had another one of these moments. I was able to ask Luke Malek a question as to whether he believed that humans were causing global warming. He responded:

“I don’t know if it is human caused, I mean volcanos put out a lot of Co2. So I don’t know- are humans contributing? Possibly. I don’t know.”

Really? We have elected officials throughout the local, state and national Republican party who are not able to recognize that the reality of climate change and global ecosystem disruption isn’t just another question like who we think is going to win the super bowl. Not only is there overwhelming evidence and 97% scientific consensus that climate change is real, happening fast, and caused by human activity (especially fossil fuels, animal agriculture and deforestation), but that it also will actually determine whether many millions of people on the planet right now (and being born onto the planet) live or die and what kind of life they are able to live. What our Idaho congresspeople believe, and therefore do, matters. If, for example, Idaho senators succeed in removing federal protections on Idaho lands and allow big oil and gas companies to drill and allow big logging companies to deforest the land, then it will contribute to biospheric destruction and the climate crisis by worsening it.

But the crown jewel of cognitive dissonance and alternate realities for the evening came at the end when a man named Trevor Louden gave the keynote speech. For starters, Louden claimed that “Brexit was a taste [of] people standing up against the oligarchs, against the political correctness, against the tyrants of the world.” Then he followed with “[Brexit] was the first step and then Donald Trump winning the election, that was the icing on the cake.” Yep. You read that correctly. He thinks that Donald Trump represents ordinary people standing up against the oligarchs and tyrants. Nevermind (just for starters) that Donald Trump has the richest cabinet in the history of the United States including half a dozen upper ups from Goldman Sachs. In his speech, Louden claimed that the democratic party had a plan to “legalize all the illegals, to flood the country with more Islamic refugees,” and create a “one-party state.” Louden went on to claim that the democratic party is “completely owned by the Marxist unions” which is why we have “Obamacare…immigration amnesty…a nuclear deal with Iran, and recognition of Cuba. All of those policies came out of the communist movement in this country.” He went on to claim that “if Hillary Clinton had prevailed she would have brought the hammer down on every enemy she has. She would have persecuted conservative businessmen. She would have persecuted anyone who stood against her and she would have consolidated power for the rest of our lifetimes.”

The alternate reality time machine had traveled back to the 1950’s Red Scare and senator Joe McCarthy was in the room with us.

Louden continued: “All of the riots are done by professional Marxist agitators, folks. These are not college kids, these are professionals tied to Putin’s Russia, tied to Iran, and tied to Venezuela and Cuba. And they are causing mayhem…

I bet you some of them were out there demonstrating in front of this event. They are coming into the heartland… You have to get involved in school board and county commissioner elections because that is where they are coming for you. They are moving in here… If you take this great [Trump] victory for granted and coast for the next two years, your children will live in slavery in this land. That’s inevitable. That will happen.” Seriously! Now I know that the people standing next to me at the protest weren’t just local retired teachers or nurses or students. Nope, they must have been agents of the Kremlin here in CdA posing as local residents with a master plan to enslave our children! Meanwhile, the fact that (just to pick one of many examples) Trump’s secretary of commerce is business partners with a former Putin appointed KGB agent who together with a third partner own a Russian bank known for money laundering is just fine. According to Louden, the monolithic communists are everywhere- they control the Democrats, the unions, the protest movements- but we shouldn’t be at all concerned with Trump’s extensive business ties to Russia and the Russian mafia. Ironic.

Louden ended with a rallying cry for Republicans to open their checkbooks when “they are cutting regulation and cutting taxes” and the “federal government is getting rid of the EPA and returning the land to the states” and when Trump “opens the energy fields up.” Once again we hear the same Republican propaganda that democratically created laws protecting workers, health and the natural world on which we depend for our very life are bad and need to be destroyed so that big business can be free to exploit and pollute. Louden was given a standing ovation for his speech.

As a species we are racing toward a cliff of catastrophic proportions and the extremist Republican death cult is pushing the gas pedal to the floor. As thinking people who care about the fate of humanity and other species, what can we do to change this bizarre dynamic of fundamental ignorance and shameless greed?

We need to elect people who reason about the world according to evidence and craft policies with mindfulness and compassion for the natural world, other people and future generations.

In order to do that, we need to change the cultural norms of what is expected, what is tolerated, and what is encouraged in those around us. We should have compassion for those who are lost in ignorance and hard-heartedness. We must remain aware that there are plenty of kind and reasonable conservatives that do not have these views. But we also must stand strong in basic facts and core moral principles and communicate clearly with those around us. Those of us who count reason and care among our gifts must organize, educate and activate our community to create a more just and livable world.

Professional Marxist Agitators peacefully protesting the Lincoln Day Dinner in Coeur d’Alene

]]>https://therealcda.com/the-lincoln-dinner/feed/0Please Fight for Herhttps://therealcda.com/please-fight-for-her/
https://therealcda.com/please-fight-for-her/#commentsTue, 14 Mar 2017 13:46:52 +0000https://therealcda.com/?p=3608An Open Letter to Idaho Representatives Raúl Labrador, Mike Crapo, and James E Risch. Shortly after my husband, Sergeant Greg Moore, was killed in 2015, our daughter and I lost his amazing health insurance through the city. Because Greg’s murder was a “qualifying event,” we could have continued with his coverage through COBRA, but […]

Raúl Labrador, Mike Crapo, and James E Risch.

Shortly after my husband, Sergeant Greg Moore, was killed in 2015, our daughter and I lost his amazing health insurance through the city.

Because Greg’s murder was a “qualifying event,” we could have continued with his coverage through COBRA, but I would’ve had to pay for it myself. It was an exorbitant monthly premium.

Once I had come through the first few months as a widow and single mom (with tremendous, loving support), I set new intentions for my life. I elected to work only two days a week so I could be home with our one-year-old daughter, Gemma. As a result, I lost my own health insurance through the school district. (Yes, at a time in my life I was fortunate enough to have double coverage.) Again, I could have used COBRA, but again, I would have had to pay out of pocket, so the cost was ludicrous.

Staying home with our daughter was my choice. I’m incredibly grateful for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) which made that choice easier for me. Because of ACA, I didn’t have to choose between paying an outrageous premium and being home with Gemma. I could be a mom, work part-time, and keep very affordable health insurance, while I rebuilt my life.

When Greg died, community members, local businesses, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the Coeur d’Alene School District, the city of Coeur d’Alene, Northwestern Mutual, my local (and national) police family, and even expats reached out to support my family. The Kootenai Fire and Police Memorial Foundation established donation accounts in my name. My immediate and extended family flew from across the country and overseas to be with me. With my input, Greg’s service was completely arranged by the police department. I didn’t have to go back to work that school year, as the superintendent and school board immediately granted me time off. The monetary donations I received allowed me to pay my bills and keep my home while I waited for Greg’s death benefits to be processed. I was surrounded by people who helped me every day for over a year afterward. I could not have been more loved and supported.

I only share my story in detail to illustrate just how exceptional it is. Most widows will not experience this level of community and family support and instead will face economic uncertainty and fear. For the majority of widows in our country who have lost health insurance, ACA is a necessity. I implore you. Please fight to keep the Affordable Care Act and reform it or have a comparable replacement before it is repealed.

Unless you have lived it, you can’t imagine the all-encompassing, crushing grief of losing your spouse, or the persistent, overwhelming decisions you must make. You simply can’t fathom having to decide what to engrave on your husband’s headstone or which cemetery plot to choose. You cannot know what it’s like to look your child in the eyes and explain to her that she won’t see her dad again. The life of a widow is difficult enough. Please fight for the widow in this country so she has one less thing to worry about.

Fight for the widow with four kids under the age of six. For the widow who found out she’s pregnant and the widow with a special needs child. Please fight for her. Please fight for the widow who is buried in medical bills from her own chronic illness and for the widow who suffers from unbearable depression and anxiety. Please fight for her. Please fight for the widow who had just moved and doesn’t know a soul in her community and for the widow who can no longer afford her home. Please fight for her. Please fight for the widow awaiting the trial of her husband’s murderer and for the widow who spent the last few months with her husband in hospice. Please fight for her and give her one less worry.

Please fight for the widows who are not as fortunate as me. Fight for these women and their right to affordable health care for themselves and their children.

]]>https://therealcda.com/please-fight-for-her/feed/10Republican Town Hall in Post Fallshttps://therealcda.com/republican-town-hall-in-post-falls/
https://therealcda.com/republican-town-hall-in-post-falls/#respondWed, 08 Mar 2017 19:52:18 +0000https://therealcda.com/?p=3585A banal, yet ominous affair The town hall gathering of perhaps 80 people at St John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Post Falls was mild mannered and banal on the surface despite the grave implications for Idaho wilderness, public schools, and state budget. A policeman was stationed at the door but there was no […]

The town hall gathering of perhaps 80 people at St John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Post Falls was mild mannered and banal on the surface despite the grave implications for Idaho wilderness, public schools, and state budget.

A policeman was stationed at the door but there was no need, for not a raised voice was heard (other than, some grumblings about liquor licenses). The republican congresspeople sat behind the table while questions were submitted in writing so that no citizen was allowed to ask questions or follow up on any questions. A statement was made at the beginning to the effect that this was private property and anyone who insisted on speaking up without permission would be removed. The organizers of the town hall were quite pleased that the proceedings were without heated exchange or confrontation of any kind, not to mention dialogue.

Luke Malek, Mary Souza, Don Cheatham, Ron Mendive, Paul Amador and Steve Vick offered their views to a roomful of older white republicans. Cheatham made comments vilifying Muslims, falling into false dualisms and showing little ability for complex moral thought. A question about how they were going to stop sharia law in Idaho went unanswered. The legislators were apparently unwilling to point out that anyone asking such a question is not just proposing alternate facts, but is rather inhabiting an entirely alternate reality from the rest of us- in which Muslim fundamentalists are on the verge of overtaking the Idaho court system and establishing their own code of law! Otherwise, three major issues were discussed in somewhat vague terms:

1) Idaho republicans intend to undo federal control over state land so that they can allow private timber, mining, and oil and gas companies to move in and extract these resources. This is a typical Koch brother, ALEC move that is being and has been pursued in other western states. They try to justify opening up state land to corporate plunder by claiming that this will allow the forests to be “managed better” for the well-being of wildlife and to minimize fires. They suggest too, that cutting “unnecessary” regulations will provide economic stimulation and revenue for Idaho by allowing business to be free. Not mentioned is the fact that most Idahoans deeply appreciate the federal protection of our state lands and prize the preservation of our public lands for fishing, hunting and recreating. If federal protection is taken away- and the many state, national, and foreign corporate interests greedily eyeing the spoils are allowed to take over- than Idahoans will lose hunting, fishing and recreating opportunities as well as protection of our water. There was not one single mention of climate change, its cause being animal agriculture, fossil fuels and deforestation, or the severe consequences that it imposes. No mention either of problems resulting from the recent massive cuts to the EPA resulting in a huge decrease in the public ability to protect against corporate abuse, for example, water pollution.

2) Idaho republicans, in coordination with Betsy Devos, want to undermine public education by giving parents public funds for education to go to religious schools. The Blaine amendment- which is built into the constitution of many western states, and which prohibits public money from going to private religious schools- is getting in their way and they would like to get rid of it so that they can move ahead with their plan. Mendive spoke approvingly of an attempt to undermine the teachers union which stands in their way as well. No mention that these steps would greatly defund and destabilize public education.

3) Proposed tax cuts which have passed the house- whose primary benefit is to the richest and would give the average person no more than a dinner out- would amount to a little over $51 million per year from now on. This year alone, that happens to be about the same amount as the state budget surplus that is being entirely used to rebuild Idaho roads. There is significant controversy in the Legislature over whether the tax cuts should go through when money is needed for so many other things. The tax cut bill could be stopped if citizens make their voices heard over the next few weeks.

Though the air at the republican town hall was stale and the mood was grim in what it could portend for our future as Idahoans, it was merely a prelude to the so-called “Lincoln dinner” that followed that night. However, there is a strong possibility of successful resistance to this extremist agenda of the corporate right of resource extraction and enrichment over public rights for healthy land, water, and biospheric preservation. We can prevail in the face of attacks on public school funding and we can stop the tax cuts favoring the rich that would defund our state budget.

Now is the time to fight back- to call and write our senators and stop these extremists from enacting their agenda in our state.

]]>https://therealcda.com/republican-town-hall-in-post-falls/feed/0Luke Malek & Paul Amador Town Hall – A waste of time?https://therealcda.com/luke-malek-town-hall/
https://therealcda.com/luke-malek-town-hall/#commentsThu, 26 Jan 2017 00:12:41 +0000https://therealcda.com/?p=3461Last Saturday Luke Malek and Paul Amador hosted a town hall meeting at 15th St. fire station. They are Kootenai County’s state house representatives for district 4, seats A & B. This event was packed! People seemed to be interested in a variety of issues, but two stood out: health care and local liquor laws. The […]

People seemed to be interested in a variety of issues, but two stood out: health care and local liquor laws.

The health care folks seemed to be from both parties with concerns about raising costs, and the Republicans plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care). People interested in the liquor laws were present due to the Cellar downtown having to close its doors as a result of being unable to obtain an affordable liquor license. Rumor is a liquor license costs up to 200k in Kootenai County these days.

People come to these town halls to be heard. They have passionate thoughts and feelings about local and national issues, and getting face to face with our state representatives feels like the closest thing we get to affecting government.

The problem with these town halls is that the establishment culture of our government is clearly broken. It’s not on the surface at a town hall like this one, but with thoughtful examination, it’s easy to find.

Of course, to be fair, I’m saying this as a progressive Democrat going to a Republican town hall. I believe there is a dysfunction when talking about real issues and solutions on both sides of the isle. Simply put, politicians can’t tell us the truth because the truth would require us to change our way of thinking about everything most Americans have been taught for generations; on top of that require us to shift our party lines if we really want change.

Elected Republicans like Malek and Amador certainly wouldn’t admit this, nor acknowledge it, especially while their party is in power, but the rest of us know it. Congress (the government) has an 11% approval rating. People are united in the belief that government is not working for us. The reason is simple: the way in which the government is currently structured permits big money interests to have all of the say in policy making. The people’s interests are ignored because “economic growth” trumps everything. Which means no legislation ever gets considered that would “hurt” the wealthy “job creators”, big banks, or big business (like Walmart allowing unions to form to get a living wage).

Politicians like Luke and Paul will never tell you that if we want real change we must stand up to big business. They are totally ineffective in the fight for our hard working poor.

This is exemplified by the Walmart in Hayden or Post Falls. When the company wanted to come to Kootenai County, we could have required them to pay a living wage to their employees. They would have said: “we can’t make money with that so we won’t come to your town.” If they deny their employees a livable wage we should have denied them the rights to open stores in the area, and let our locally owned businesses continue to thrive. The two Walmart kids have more $ than 160,000,000 Americans. Think about that.

Even if unwittingly Idaho republicans have become the protectors of this type of corrupt wealth through party allegiance if not active participation.

These are the conversations we need to have at town hall meetings! This is the kind of leadership we need. We’ve been lied to for so long that Americans can’t see outside the bubble anymore. We need leaders who can or nothing in America will change.

Canada provides universal health care, good teachers salaries, and pensions to all its people. Why can’t America? Because we have an uninformed electorate. Making matters worse, Luke Malek used his platform to say:

“The recent presidential election is a victory over the tyranny of federal control,”

This, of course, reinforces the profound deception that somehow government is the problem. When, in fact, diversion politics like this is the problem. The continued charade that business as usual in Idaho and nationally is the way forward.

This town hall, for me, was an example, though hard to detect for most, of the dysfunction that is modern American politics. They bring us together to talk about the crumbs but avoid at all cost conversation about baking the bread.

The meeting room is full to overflowing. It is clear that people have come with ideas and questions that are very important to them.

During the first 30 minutes of the meeting, the talk consisted of boring political conversation, stuff going on in Boise that no one, but maybe one person, understood or cared about. People were politely fidgeting in their seats waiting to be heard. I’ve heard from prior attendees that they just say the same thing in every town hall.

While they wasted our valuable face to face time, I did catch Paul Amador say something very important that I’m not sure everyone heard. In his explanation of the current bills they are looking at, and he said there are lots of bills being considered, he stated:

“and there are also groups pushing for tax relief on income and property taxes”.

In my mind, this was the most important statement during the town hall. To any progressive or Democratic, or even fiscally conscious Republicans, this is the crux of the issue. Idaho is almost last in the nation in regard to education and pay, and 200 million behind on needed road repairs. From Amadors’s statement, I concluded we are considering tax cuts for the wealthy.

This in mind, would go so far to say that these town halls are almost 95% for show. The agenda of the Idaho legislature is not determined by Jake or Jill showing up at Fire Station 15, but instead by special interests. That’s just how it works. Money (business), from these interests, are what fuel campaigns; therefore, they have the most clout. Democrats are also guilty of this as we saw in the last election, which was illustrated through the Clinton campaign.

What people really want from these town halls are answers and inspiration. We want to know if you actually have a plan to meet our needs or not. If so, tell us how you plan to meet our needs and spare us the politician talk and empty promises. If our representatives are unable to do so, then be honest and give suggestions for other ways to fight for it.

I will say that while we hold our Reps accountable, we can also honor these men for the work they are trying to do. Participating in government is a slow and complex process. It is full of annoying steps, rules, and time wasted. We constituents like to think that after elected, these guys can go to the state house and press a button to make our lives better. Unfortunately, this is not the case, especially if they want to get re-elected.

We need to get involved and stay involved at a local level. We need to ask tough questions and propose bold actions if we want to change.

The problem is that American politics will not be fixed without action. The goal is not to deregulate everything and hand the keys over to Goldman Sachs. Idaho Republicans have a chance to break the mold and tell us the truth. Though I doubt we can hope for much, we can hardly deny the winds of change are blowing.

]]>https://therealcda.com/luke-malek-town-hall/feed/1New Young Leadershiphttps://therealcda.com/new-young-leadership/
https://therealcda.com/new-young-leadership/#commentsSat, 21 Jan 2017 00:12:42 +0000https://therealcda.com/?p=3441Today the Idaho Democratic Club elected a president that can actually give us some hope! The youngest president in its history. Shem Hanks is a local young leader who is very passionate and active in our community and politics. Every Friday the club has a lunch meeting at the Iron Horse in downtown Cd’A at […]

]]>Today the Idaho Democratic Club elected a president that can actually give us some hope! The youngest president in its history. Shem Hanks is a local young leader who is very passionate and active in our community and politics.

Every Friday the club has a lunch meeting at the Iron Horse in downtown Cd’A at noon. They feature speakers, organize, and socialize over lunch.

As a few people brought up today, this was a room 95% full of people over 55. There is definitely a lack of young faces. This is possibly somewhat due to the time of the meeting, as noon is easier to attend for retiree’s then young working families and college students. Suggestions of having a second evening meeting were talked about.

Why do I think the Kootenai County Democrats elected a young man to be president? Well first, from my personal experience with Shem, he is more than passionate about Cd’A and equally qualified. Possessing a boyish charm, while obviously holding a sharp intellect, he clearly has a desire to serve.

I think local Dems are ready for change! They acknowledge that “business as usual” isn’t working, and electing young blood is a healthy step towards creating a new and vibrant local Democratic party. I believe this will require some growing pains. But as our nation speeds up and changes we must jump in and catch the current.

Younger people want a more active and focused political dialogue. They don’t want to sit around and argue over what we should or should not do or how we should or shouldn’t do it. They already know the problems of the world and they want to know what the hell we plan to do about it! They want leadership! They want community, and they want the truth.

In the next months, and years, I think lots of people are going to be poking their heads in to see what local progressives are doing. I believe it is our job to have a plan ready, and action steps to take, when they do. Simple things like:

• Affordable Health Care.

• Higher minimum wage/Right to Work Laws

• Higher teacher salaries.

• More taxes on the 1%.

• More community spaces and local activities/programs.

When we can find a healthy mix of national and local issues that directly affect Idahoans we will get people’s attention and keep it.

The truth is Democrats haven’t been winning local elections for a long time. I hope we will put more energy into finding our common values and fighting for them together! Letting our focus on elections be on the back burner for a bit while we plan to build a new progressive movement right here in Kootenai County!

The election of Shem is a major step in that direction. Though today was a grim day for all progressives it seems that movement is happening and the future is bright!

]]>https://therealcda.com/new-young-leadership/feed/1Up North Distilleryhttps://therealcda.com/up-north-distillery/
https://therealcda.com/up-north-distillery/#respondTue, 19 Jul 2016 17:55:04 +0000https://therealcda.com/?p=716The post Up North Distillery appeared first on The Real Cd'A.
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Teuvo Orjala

Author/Photographer

The Inland Northwest sure is growing isn’t it?! We all see it, and we all have different opinions about it.

One of the positives of the growth, in my opinion, is as the population grows so does the potential for new businesses to emerge and succeed. This blog’s mission is to help you discover these new locally owned and operated ventures with a hope I might inspire you to see their value to our community.

Up North Distillery is one of these businesses. A vision of two couples who have put their heart and soul into bringing us something new and beautiful. They want you to know:

“Our goal is to create products “Farm to the Flask” using locally sourced honey, grains, and fruits to create unique spirits and flavors that tantalize your taste buds and delight the soul.”

Love their open air bar!

Photograph by Teuvo Orjala

Now let me get it out of the way. I’m not a huge liquor drinker. I’m a dark beer kinda guy. But I appreciate quality when I see it, and I do enjoy a good cocktail now and then.

When I visited Up North Distillery not only did I discover they have amazing cocktails, but that they brew and bottle five home made spirits as well!

There is nothing more patriotic than supporting local businesses owned by our neighbors!

I knew that Bardenas made their own liquor but until now had no idea we had local Idahoans brewing fine spirits right here in Post Falls!

My visit to Up North Distillery was also a serious education lesson. Until now I must admit I knew little about the process that actually goes into creating spirits. I learned that you can’t call a liquor Whiskey unless it is made from grain. Up North uses honey to make its spirits.

The other incredibly unique thing about Up North Distillery is that they have their own liquor store on site. They believe at the moment that they are the only distillery, bar, and liquor store all in one in all of Idaho!

When you visit Up North you will be surprised by how nice it is inside! A beautiful bar and wood walls with a garage door opening so you can enjoy the sun while having a drink on a nice day.

Ok taste test time. I decided that to do it right I needed to jump right in and try the good stuff, neat. I asked for two fingers of the Barrel Reserve. Now I’ve drank my fair share of the hard stuff in my day but let me be honest more often than not it was drowned in soda. So when I took my first sip I was kinda blown away. It was so sweet and smooth. I had a picture in my mind of me sitting by the fire in a sweater on a cool fall afternoon sipping a glass and watching giant white clouds slowly move across a crisp blue sky. I’m no liquor connoisseur but let’s just say it felt right going down.

Having been impressed by their flagship liquor, I decided to try one of their specialty cocktails. They pride themselves with having a good selection of local beer, wine, and spirits so I decided to try the Sweet Heat.

Needless to say, I was more than won over by what I found at Up North Distillery. We go have a drink to relax, enjoy friends or kick back after a hard day of work. It’s a treat. A time to let go of the normal confines most of us “responsible” people hold ourselves to. So when you do have a night to enjoy yourself keep it local.

My goal is always to highlight and support locally owned and operated businesses that help grow our community and keep our money here in the northwest.

In 2015 Idahoans spent $179 million on liquor! Yep, I triple checked that number. Unbelievable right? Well, of course most of that was probably on Jack Daniels, Captian Morgan, and Absolute Vodka. All companies owned by people who have probably never stepped one foot in Idaho, unless to go skiing at their winter house in Sun Valley.

So let’s help keep some of those millions here in North Idaho. When you need a bottle for a party or a gift run over to Up North Distillery. If you want a great new place to try a creative cocktail or take visiting friends head over to Up North Distillery. And when you go out to get a drink request Up North Distillery. Every time you do this you vote for the health and happiness of North Idaho.